How to Make Writing Emails Easier with ADHD (Part 3 of 3)
Learn how to stop avoiding emails and make writing and sending them easier when you have ADHD — without all the second-guessing.
What to Say When Setting Boundaries with ADHD
Learn why setting boundaries can be so hard. And how to set them with greater ease so you can focus on what matters.
ADHD and Slow Processing: What Helps in the Moment
Do you have moments when, in a meeting, a one-on-one conversation, or a social or business gathering, or when you feel like you’re not processing the information as quickly as you would like? For example, a common challenge I hear from many Adults with ADHD I work with is, “When I’m in the middle of a conversation or meeting, I just can not seem to put it all together and figure out how to contribute. Often, I don’t think of what I want to say until after it is over. I feel so stupid!” If you have similar thoughts, you might then spiral into shame. And think you are just not that intelligent. You may then become distracted by these thoughts and feelings. This distraction…
Part 3 – How ADHD Adults Keep Conversations From Going Horribly Wrong
(originally published November 10, 2017, updated January 12, 2023 ) Communicating well in everyday run-of-the-mill conversations can be difficult for ADHD adults. I wrote about this in the two previous articles, ADHD Adults Communicate Better Using These 7 Listening Tips and 5 Strategies You Need to Use to Be Better Understood in Conversations. But you will need a different skill set to handle crucial conversations. These are conversations where the stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong, according to authors Joseph Grenny et al. of Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High. The authors also note that: Our natural tendencies in moments that seem threatening lean toward fight or flight rather than listen and speak. This can be especially true for ADHD adults for reasons I will explore in…
ADHD Conversations Skills You Can Use
In my previous post, Part 1 – ADHD Adults Communicate Better Using These 7 Listening Tips, I explored some of the challenges you may have listening well. And suggested strategies you could use to listen better. But, if you’re interested in communicating better, you likely also want to learn how to improve your ability to convey your thoughts. And, as true with listening, your ADHD likely contributes to the challenges you have making yourself understood. I’ll explore some of the reasons for this below. But your ADHD is only a piece of the puzzle. Because your communication patterns have also become a habit. And this is the good news! Because, once you better understand how your ADHD may get in your way, you can learn and…
How To Be A Better Listener With ADHD
(originally published June 17, 2020, updated November 14, 2022 ) I know you have read and so know quite a bit about communication, including how to listen better. Yet, despite having all this information, you may still be struggling to implement it in a way that helps you communicate the way you want. So now you are wondering, “Am I just unable to listen and communicate well?!” That may be the case right now. But, if you are struggling to implement the advice you’ve accumulated over the years, it’s likely, at least in part, because you haven’t customized it to fit your unique needs, including those related to your ADHD. Here is the good news! You can change that. So, you can communicate the way…
ADHD Adults Need to Use These 5 Strategies to Listen Better
DESCRIPTION: Your ADHD may make it harder to listen. But, if you want to do better, to improve your relationships and productivity, you can. Here’s how. KEY TAKEAWAYS: ADHD symptoms can make it hard to listen. ADHD adults might want to upgrade their listening skills to improve relationships, productivity or for some other reason. Preparing for the conversation can help you listen better in the conversation. Taking notes during the conversation can also help you listen. Checking in with the speaker can help you stay engaged and listen better, too. Another way to stay engaged and listen better is to be curious. Deferring your response to another conversation can make it easier to listen, as well. RESOURCES: BOOK: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People…
Trouble Saying What You Want Because of Your ADHD?
Description: Organizing thoughts into words with ADHD can be a challenge. Ready to turn that around? Use these 7 strategies and you can. Key Takeaways: ADHD challenges with working memory, long-term memory, processing speed, emotional regulation and distractions can make it difficult for you to organize your thoughts into words. Learn more about these ADHD challenges so you understand why it can be a challenge for you to organize your thoughts to speak effectively. Then learn how to use 7 workarounds to address them. Articles: ADHD and Meetings: How to Take and Use Your Notes Do You Have ADHD and Feel Like You Often Respond Too Slowly? ADHD Adults Communicate Better Using These 5 Listening Tips Transcription: 00:01: Is one of your ADHD challenges organizing…
ADHD and Tips for Managing Holiday Stress
Whether you celebrate an upcoming winter holiday or not you will likely feel their impact as you go about your professional and personal business. And, while the holiday season may look different for everyone, it is likely you will share some of the same challenges with other adults with ADHD, such as: You may have different challenges, I’m sure. But you get it. It is a time of year that can be more difficult than other times in terms of managing your ADHD symptoms. Being aware of this is the first step in addressing these challenges. The next step is deciding how to navigate the various contexts in which you will find yourself in the upcoming months. Ready? Work and the Holidays The one…
ADHD and Communication 101 – Listening
It might seem listening should be easy. After all it seems like a pretty passive activity, right? But in reality fully processing and understanding what somebody is saying to you isn’t always easy, especially for Adults with ADHD. Sometimes it is… hard… really hard. Sure, if you don’t care much about what the person is saying, you could get away with, “Uh ah, right, yes, sure…” And be on your way. But what about those times when you do care and/or you need to remember and use the information the person is providing? You need to be able to actively listen. If you struggle with being able to do this now, you can strengthen this muscle so you can flex it when you want. ADHD…